Words of hope for difficult times

For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your wellfare, not for your woe! plans to give you a future full of hope. When you call Me, when you go to pray to Me, yes, when you seek Me with all your heart, you will find Me with you, says the Lord, and I will change your lot.
Jeremiah 29 11-14

What beautiful and powerful words of hope God has given us! This is one of my favorite passages from the Old Testament. It is a flat out reminder that God is in control of our lives and has a plan for each of us. In difficult times, I think its natural to question why these problems are happening to us. Sometimes, questioning leads you to see your mistakes or areas where you can improve. But other times, only God knows the reason. And those times are when faith and trust come into play. Know that God has a plan for the development of your soul.
Consider it like this. If you've ever done a painting, you know that it starts out looking terrible. You may want to give up on it. But as each new stroke is overlaid, a beautiful painting begins to develop. Or if you do needlepoint, you know that the underside of the fabric can look rough, with knots and tangled threads. That's the side of our lives we can see as mortals. But flip it over and its gorgeous, thats the side of life that God sees.
So as you go through tough times in your life, bring to mind God's words of hope.